“Daemon” by Daniel Suarez
In modern times, as you can surely see, technology is developing faster than it ever was before. Only a few decades ago computers were the size of elephants and took up giant rooms to store a few megabytes of data. Today, we have computers the size of our hands capable of storing dozens, if not hundreds of gigabytes of information without a problem.
However, what’s scarier is the progress done in robotics and nanotechnology; not only are computers becoming tremendously more powerful and capable than humans, but they are also slowly taught to process information and understand things on the fly. It might not sound like much, but if you ask me we’re not too far away from a Terminator reenactment.
In any case, in Daemon by Daniel Suarez, we are thrust into a world where technology controls pretty much everything it can control. However, there are many self-regulated programs referred to as “daemons”, and as you can guess, one of those daemons was designed put an end to human society and put in place a new world order.
As the daemon tries to achieve its plan, a group of unlikely teammates work long and hard do decipher it, stop it, and understand what the heck is going on in the first place. To be frank, I’m not a big fan of futuristic, science fiction novels, but this one seems to have hit home with me as I harbor a certain prejudice against such rapid chronological progress.
Daemon provides a very interesting look at what would actually happen if we were to place our fates in the hands of computer programs… and what would happen if one of them were to try to wipe everything out. Of course, this isn't some philosophical essay; it is all told through an interesting story populated by colorful characters who learn and adapt to living in a society where their fates are controlled by the will of machines.
All in all, if like science fiction novels, an exploration of the way machines dominate our daily lives, or anything to do with rogue A.I. programs, then I’m pretty sure Daemon will be very much to your liking.
However, what’s scarier is the progress done in robotics and nanotechnology; not only are computers becoming tremendously more powerful and capable than humans, but they are also slowly taught to process information and understand things on the fly. It might not sound like much, but if you ask me we’re not too far away from a Terminator reenactment.
In any case, in Daemon by Daniel Suarez, we are thrust into a world where technology controls pretty much everything it can control. However, there are many self-regulated programs referred to as “daemons”, and as you can guess, one of those daemons was designed put an end to human society and put in place a new world order.
As the daemon tries to achieve its plan, a group of unlikely teammates work long and hard do decipher it, stop it, and understand what the heck is going on in the first place. To be frank, I’m not a big fan of futuristic, science fiction novels, but this one seems to have hit home with me as I harbor a certain prejudice against such rapid chronological progress.
Daemon provides a very interesting look at what would actually happen if we were to place our fates in the hands of computer programs… and what would happen if one of them were to try to wipe everything out. Of course, this isn't some philosophical essay; it is all told through an interesting story populated by colorful characters who learn and adapt to living in a society where their fates are controlled by the will of machines.
Also, the book reminded me of the War on Drugs and the War on Terror (and war on any other kind of concept) as the protagonists are pitted against a faceless enemy who cannot be destroyed by any conventional means. I’m not going to debate about whether those wars are worth fighting or not, but I’ll just say that’s interesting to see the line of thinking characters follow when facing an abstract enemy.
All in all, if like science fiction novels, an exploration of the way machines dominate our daily lives, or anything to do with rogue A.I. programs, then I’m pretty sure Daemon will be very much to your liking.
 | Daniel SuarezPersonal site Daniel Suarez is an American author and information technology expert and consultant. Needless to say, this professional path he traveled before taking to the pen has influenced his writing quite visibly, always having his stories revolve around technology one way or the other. Some of his better-known works include Daemon and Kill Decision. |
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